Goddess Kali by MV Dhurandhar and Hamein Chahiye Tha Milna by Parveen Shakir

This week in Daak:

1. The Goddess Kali above Triveni Sangam by MV Dhurandhar

2. Hamein Chahiye Tha Milna by Parveen Shakir

3. Want to Read Regional Literature?

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1. The Goddess Kali above Triveni Sangam by MV Dhurandhar, early 20th century, Google Arts & Culture

With her bluish black complexion, blood-smeared tongue and necklace of skulls, Goddess Kali evokes an image of primal violence. Her very name finds its root in darkness and the hands of time, carrying both the powers of destruction and creation. So what does one make of this delicate portrayal by Dhurandhar where Kali appears as a gentle child with soft eyes, floating above the calm waters of the Triveni Sangam (the holy meeting point of the three rivers: Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati)? Even her terrorizing necklace of skulls shrinks to child-like proportions, seeming more like a string of harmless beads than a badge of victory. It’s a perplexing image, but one that brings great beauty and softness to this ferocious myth.

2. Hamein Chahiye Tha Milna by Parveen Shakir

hamein chahiye tha milna
kisi ehd-e-meherbaan mein
kisi khwab ke yaqeen mein
kisi aur aasmaan par
kisi aur sarzameen mein
hamein chahiye tha milna

We ought to have met,
in another time,
in pursuit of attainable dreams,
below a different sky,
upon a different earth,
We ought to have met then.

(Translation by Raza Rumi)

Ever meet the right person at the wrong time? These haunting lines from Shakir’s longer poem have stayed with us through the years, reminding us of missed chances and imagined futures. We can’t quite grasp how, but in just five lines, Shakir captures the immense heartache and resignation that follows the loss of someone or something we deeply desire but is not meant for us.

3. Want to Read Regional Literature?

Join our community on slack to read more literature from South Asia and discuss poetry, language, themes, emotions (and the list goes on!) with the nicest group of people.